Guest Blogger, Emily A. Clark

Monday, August 23, 2010

I am so excited to share my very first guest blogger, Emily Clark, with you. Emily lives about an hour away from me here in North Carolina and while we haven't had the opportunity to meet in person, I always enjoy reading about her inspiring projects. She has the best luck with Craigslist and today she is going to share one of her favorite finds.

When I think of a creating a cozy living space, bookcases always come to mind. There's something about a collection of books and personal objects that makes a room feel so comfortable.

So, with that thought, I was determined to find a space for some bookcases of my own. I had planned to buy a couple of Billy bookcases from IKEA when I found these little beauties on Craigslist:

No, I'm not totally crazy. They were the perfect size to fit right under our stairs, and when I saw those paneled doors, I knew I was onto something. Oh, and did I mention they were only $20 a piece?

Fast forward a couple of months later (I may have procrastinated a little):

After sanding through the eight layers of neon paint underneath the brown, they were ready for a few coats of white gloss paint.

Once they were painted and moved into the house, I painted the backs a deep navy (Stunning by Benjamin Moore). Painting or papering the backs of your bookcases is the easiest way to give them instant style, and makes them already appear more filled before you even start accessorizing.

To style them, I used lots of old books (or took the dust jackets off of newer ones) and added in some favorite black and white family photos.

I had several older accessories that were sitting in boxes in my garage, so I got them out and sprayed them white as well to give them a fresh look. I like the way they pop against the navy. If you don't have older accessories to use, one of my best resources is Goodwill. There's always an abundance of brass candlesticks, trays, bowls and knick-knacks that can be easily updated with spray paint.

Thanks to Rene for letting me share one of my favorite Craigslist finds. If you would like to see the rest of this room and more of my furniture makeovers, be sure to stop by my blog.

Rene: What a great first guest blogging post. Emily, what a great find!!! The navy on the back is really pretty, we need bookcases too, just might have to start searching. (one of my favorite things to do!) --Gretchen O.

Rene...I really like your Craigslist makeover. I too shop online classifieds here in Canada...I can't believe sometimes what people are willing to part with. Sometimes they ask too much and sometimes you can find an awesome deal.